Micro Trend - Brights

I am usually an advocate for neutral dressing but I have to say, I've rather taken to the brights trend - in moderation, may I add. I'm not quite ready for neons, nor wearing multiple brightly coloured pieces, but one skilfully placed item manages to boost your outfit and update those winter hues. I love the deep reds, vibrant fuschias and rich blues so took a browse round net-a-porter.com to see what was on offer.

These are just a few of my favourite pieces.


This Vanessa Bruno blazer would smarten up a neutral-hued short and shirt combo and look equally chic with jeans and a white t-shirt. Really versatile and the structured style will still be on trend in seasons to come.


This is really stunning. The silk-Georgette material is so light and flattering on any figure and the grass green will complement any skin tone. It also has an open back which adds a little sexiness. If I had a spare £390, it'd go on this. By Max-Azria


Mulberry's S/S 2011 collection is really strong. Their metallics and brights are spot on. This clutch is smaller than appears but would adequately fit a wallet, phone and any other evening essentials. The quality of it also means it'll last a life time (if taken care of!).


These Marni acetate brooches would look great adorned on a lighter coloured blazer or scarf. Wear them with an occasion outfit or add interest to a casual t-shirt.


These are so much fun. Probably not very practical but the indigo suede looks so luscious. Totally a fantasy buy and I'd simply wear them with blue jeans and a classic shirt. Maybe add a metal cuff too, for good measure. By Marni


I know this fabric would feel buttery in your hands. Such an easy cover-up for the beach or it would look great tucked into shorts. It could even be worn open, over a fitted jersey dress. By Equipment


Diane Von Furstenburg always produces beautifully coloured clothing and these satin tie-up sandals are so elegant. If I had these I probably wouldn't wear them too often, perhaps just to smart occasions, but they would dress up a plain dress for no effort style.


This is just the most gorgeous Lanvin clutch. It would make an LBD and plain courts look more glamourous but because the satin is so delicate, you'd have to be careful not to scuff it.

Animal Antics

We have some visitors staying with us at the moment who want to do all the typical London tourist attractions. Today was London Zoo and although I wasn't so enthusiastic about going, I was actually quite impressed. I decided not to bore you by wittering on about all the animals and exhibits and thought I'd show you instead.

This is my day in photos.






















Jeans - Mango, belt white blouse - United Colours of Bennetton, trench - Zara, shoes - New Look, bag - Mulberry, sunglasses - Marc by Marc Jacobs, necklace - Tiffany & Co, ring - my Grandmother's

Bayswater

I was so excited this morning that I had to blog straight away. As you know, I have been on the never ending quest for the perfect handbag. Now I've come close before but there has always been something that is just not right - too big, too small, you know the drill. I've been eyeing-up the Mulberry Bayswater for some time now but could never justify spending £700-odd quid on a bag. Until suddenly, I had a brainwave (which I should have definitely had a long time ago). I love Ebay and am constantly browsing it for some thing or another but for some reason, I never thought to have a look for the Bayswater.

Anyway, that's what I was doing all weekend, browsing, watching, bidding, not winning, browsing, watching, bidding, not winning...you get the idea. I managed to work out a little trick which you may find very helpful. I put low bids in a couple of times with about 5-10 mins to the end of the auction, to see how many other bidders there were after the same item. When I'd figured out how many, I tried a slightly higher bid (baring in mind the starting price is normally very low so at this point you are still far from what you will end up paying for it), just to see how the other bidders would react. Well, anyway, my "rival" bidder would make a higher bid straight after I made mine. So simply all I did was bide my time and put a bid in up to the maximum I wanted to pay with about 5 seconds to go, automatically becoming the highest bidder and before the other bidder had time to respond, the auction was over. This way, you only end up paying a few pounds more than the previous highest bid and no one else has time to respond.

I decided to buy a second hand Mulberry bag. Obviously I would love to buy a brand new one but I really don't need to right now. If you do your research, and obviously these bags are high quality, a second hand one can last just as long.

The only thing I would say is to be careful of fakes. Although Ebay doesn't allow fake items, there are some slippery people who count on buyers' ignorance and manage to get away with it. Although there is a great site called The Purse Forum which authenticates items for you free of charge so if you are thinking of bidding on a designer piece, post the link on to the website and other buyers will give their opinions on whether it's real or not. Obviously if a seller markets the item as real and you receive it and find out it's fake, you can open a dispute with Ebay and you should get your money back - although this could be long-winded and there's no guarantee.

Second hand Bayswaters start at about £260 depending on quality/model and you can pay up to full price for a new one. I think if you are looking for a new one though it's worth saving for that little bit longer and spending £50-£100 more to buy it from a shop. Then you 100% know you are getting the real deal.

The bag I bought was originally purchased at a sample sale about 3 years ago so it doesn't have all the extras a regular Bayswater has (like feet and a padlock) but it is in a rare colour that you can't buy anymore. I managed to get it for a really good price but you've got to weigh up the pros and cons of buying a not-perfect bag. However, I have to say, the quality has surpassed my expectations so I'm more than happy with what I've got.

So anyway, if like me you are lusting after designer pieces but can't quite justify (or afford) the price tag, take a trip over to Ebay - you'd be surprised.